Company Law and Climate Change?

The 24th European Corporate Governance Conference: Company Law and Climate Change? - 12 December 2019 Helsinki

The conference organised under the Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union studies the role of company law and corporate governance in the actions against climate change and other related global ecological threats. It aims to provide for a policy discussion that covers both the legal and the economic and environmental aspects and consequences of possible action.

For the said purpose, the conference convenes company law and corporate governance policy-makers, corporate management, investors, corporate advisors and personnel, investors, NGOs and academia from both EU and around the world to a broad and open exchange.

Watch the conference webcast here.

Conference pre-readings can be found here.

 

Agenda 

OPENING REMARKS:

Antti Leinonen, Director General, Department for Private Law and Administration of Justice, Ministry of Justice
Dr. Timo Löyttyniemi, Vice Chair of the EU Single Resolution Board

PANEL I: State of play and way forward within the EU

Please find the recording of the opening remarks and Panel I here

Comments from the keynote speakers can be found here.

KEYNOTES

Sustainable corporate governance in the wake of the climate crisis, by Salla Saastamoinen, Director for Civil and Commercial Justice, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers European Commission
Securing the future of European business: the role of company law and corporate governance, by Beate Sjåfjell, Professor, Dr. Juris, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, SMART-project

MODERATOR  Salla Saastamoinen

PANEL 

Joëlle Simon, Deputy Director General Legal, MEDEF, Business Europe
Rytis Ambrazevičius, President, Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance, ecoDa
Olivier Boutellis-Taft, CEO, Accountancy Europe
Sebastien Godinot, Head of sustainable finance, WWF European Policy Office
Petra Hedengran, General Counsel and Head of Corporate Governance, Investor AB
Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo

PANEL II: State of play and way forward – insights from outside the EU

Please find the recording of Panel II here.

Comments from keynote speaker Luigi Zingales can be found here

KEYNOTES 

Companies Should Maximize Shareholder Welfare Not Market Value, by Luigi Zingales, Robert C. McCormack distinguished Service Professor, Entrepreneurship and Finance, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Corporate Governance, Value Creation and Economic Growth, by Mats Isaksson, Head of Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

MODERATOR  Luigi Zingales

PANEL

Mateja Milič, Assonime, European Issuers
Kaisa Hietala, Partner, Gaia Group
Jukka Mähönen, Professor, University of Helsinki, University of Oslo
Rolf Skog, Professor in Company Law, Expert to the Swedish Ministry of Justice
Mats Isaksson, Head of Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

PANEL III: Corporate Governance and other means – efficiency, coherence and added value?

Please find the recording of Panel III here

and the recording of Panel III (continued) and closing remarks here

Comments from keynote speaker Alexander Dyck can be found here

KEYNOTE AND MODERATOR

The Role of Investors and Corporate Governance in Firm Environmental Performance, by Alexander Dyck, Professor, Finance and Economic Analysis and Policy, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

PANEL              

Aleksandra Palinska, Senior Regulatory Policy Adviser, European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA)
Robbert Gerritsen, Associate Director, Research, Institutional Shareholder Services
Hanna Hiidenpalo, Chief Investment Officer, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company
David Cooke, Policy Manager, 2° Investing Initiative
Jo Iwasaki, Investor Relations, Helsinki Capital Partners

SUMMARY AND CLOSING REMARKS

Antti Leinonen, Director General, Department for Private Law and Administration of Justice, Ministry of Justice
Dr. Timo Löyttyniemi

 

The conference was organised in association with European Commission DG for Justice and Consumers, FIN-FSA Financial Supervisory Authority, Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange, Directors Institute Finland, Confederation of Finnish Industries, The Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion, The Finnish Securities Market Association, The Finnish Shareholders’ Association and WWF Finland.

The Conference was financed by Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company,  Varma, Veritas Pension Insurance, Fortum, Nokia, The renewable materials company Stora Enso, UPM,  Taaleri Plc, Borenius Attorneys Ltd, Dittmar & Indrenius Attorneys Ltd and EY.